Feral
by PhantomThorns
Summary: Danny Phantom isn't the only one with secrets, Wulf has one too although he discovered it by accident. Much like how instead of finding his friend hoping to pay him back for everything he has done for him Wulf tracks down Danny's clone who isn't doing very well and also needs help hiding from someone much more dangerous than Walker ever was. (Rated T for blood, abuse, and violence)
1. Shelter From The Storm

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Danny Phantom

**Note (8/4/2019): **Greetings readers! So I wanted to create another AU drawing with a new version of a character from Danny Phantom and for some reason, I gravitated towards Wulf. I mean, he is a ghost werewolf but does that imply he was ever human when he was alive...? That's why in this story I want to give him a humanoid form although he'll still be able to transform into the larger werewolf we're all familiar with. And unlike the last two stories, this isn't going to be a romantic fanfic. Instead, it's going to focus on an unlikely friendship, adventure, hurt and comfort. Not to mention it'll be about the poor guy still being relentlessly hunted by Walker while a certain another character is being hunted by Vlad. Yep, you guessed it! This time the actual clone-Dani will be part of the story who gains an unusual protector! I posted another version of this chapter before but decided to rewrite most of it, I hope you don't mind!

**P.S.** Also, for the sake of my sanity I'll be writing his dialogue in English but since Wulf still only speaks Esperanto it will be shown in bold font to portray that he is in fact still speaking it. But Wulf at least knows how to speak some broken English later on, which is going to be adorable to write, and that will be shown normally.

* * *

**Chapter 1: **Shelter From The Storm

_It is my nature to be kind, gentle, and loving… But know this:_  
_When it comes to matters of protecting my friend, my family, and my heart. Do not trifle with me. For I am also the most powerful and relentless creature you will ever know. __**~Unknown**_

* * *

It had taken a long time for Wulf to find another safe place to hide, but he knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. It never did. Always running; always hiding; always alert, that is how he has survived this long. Well, so to speak anyway. Because Wulf is the ghost of a werewolf with very few memories of his past, save for a few sparse once. But he remembered the pain, lots of it, so maybe the rest was better left forgotten. Besides, as far as Wulf was concerned he has always been a werewolf, in life and in death so it hardly mattered anymore.

Once Wulf was sure that the coast was clear in the hollow of some floating island in the Ghost Zone, while it made him immensely uncomfortable to do so he changed into his humanoid form since it helped mask his scent and hide his presence from most forms of detection. As a trade-off though it made him much more vulnerable. He still had all his standard ghost powers, including creating ecto-energy claws to strike with and tear open portals but Wulf was much better at defending himself in wolf form and in most cases felt more at ease in that form. Truth be told, Wulf only discovered he had a human form by accident one night in one of his earliest memories...

It was on the night of a new moon on Earth and there was a thunderstorm overhead further darkening the sky, someone or something was chasing him, and in a desperate attempt to hide himself Wulf accidentally transformed into this mysterious other form and tripped, opening his green eyes to see a pair of slightly more human ones staring back at him fearfully in the reflection of the puddle he'd fallen into. Wulf had nothing against humans so he scrambled up to his feet, thinking some human had gotten lost in this forest too, but then his bare arm briefly came into view as he lifted it over his head to push himself off the ground and he paused, noticing it was his own. **"What the-? Where is my fur?"**

Flexing his fingers, Wulf saw that this small human hand before his eyes was mimicking the motion and stared at it in wonder. He didn't get a chance to really take a better look at himself though when Wulf suddenly heard shouting and leaped to his feet again, dashing into the nearest bush. Curled up tightly in a ball, Wulf strained his ears to hear the voices again but they seemed to be growing more distant. They must have lost track of him, but how? Was it because of this new form...?

Either way, Wulf did not dare move from his hiding place even when the earth and sky briefly illuminated their surroundings as lighting lashed across it and thunder shook the air moments later. Wulf was exhausted from running, but he didn't dare fall asleep. In fact when his eyes threatened to drift closed Wulf snarled and bit into his arm, tasting ectoplasmic blood as it began pooling into his mouth. Well, at least the good news was he still had fangs in this form. Although for some reason only his canine's were still sharp.

Every time Wulf nearly fell asleep he would bite himself harder, stifling a small whimper of pain because Wulf knew that if he pulled his teeth out of the wound it would immediately start to heal. So all throughout that bitterly cold and stormy night, where the wind seemed to howl like its own wolf song and cold rain stung his bare skin where it broke through the gaps in the branches of the bush where he was hiding, Wulf remained ever alert even in this weaker form. He didn't fully understand it yet, but since changing into this form threw off his pursuers Wulf thought that maybe it could help him more in the future so long as he kept it a secret. Still, even then Wulf was reluctant to stay this way for long because it made him feel too exposed...

That is precisely why after the storm finally cleared, Wulf immediately transformed back into a werewolf again and clawed his way back into the Ghost Zone, instinct driving him to seek shelter there rather than the wilderness of the real world. And with any luck, whoever was after him would still be searching for him over on THAT side instead.

Over time Wulf got used to the idea of having two forms and he would change into this one whenever he felt his hiding place was secure enough to spare the time to figure out what powers he could still use like this, not to mention find out what he even looked like. That's why Wulf changed into his human-like form again soon after escaping his pursuers that time and curiously peered at his reflection in a sheet of ice since he was hiding in frozen wastelands located in the farthermost end of the Ghost Zone.

To Wulf's shock, his eyes, while still mostly wolf-like, looked almost surprisingly human. But his skin mirrored the color of his fur in werewolf form and was a smooth deep black like the color of coals. As for his hair, it was short, shaggy, and an even darker shade of black. Everything else was the same though. Wulf was still wearing a tattered green hoodie and pants with no shoes or any other distinguishing features aside from a long scar starting at the middle of his earlobe and ran across his cheek and the bridge of his nose before stopping abruptly on the other side...

It looked like it was stitched once and Wulf began to wonder where he got this scar from. After all, whatever caused it to appear on his body must have happened before he died because ghosts only have scars from before their deaths, any wounds that are inflicted after someone or something becomes a ghost heal completely over time. That is unless something keeps the injury open or blocks healing powers. Sadly Wulf knew this from experience after a ghost plant poisoned him once and it took him two whole weeks to recover even after sucking the toxin out of his wound.

As for the present, Wulf only just managed to escape from Walker's prison yet again and he wanted to meet with his new friend from before, the ghost boy named Danny Phantom. They met by chance when Walker gave him the task of tracking him down in exchange for his freedom. And when Wulf accepted Walker's offer to sniff the ghost boy out along with those he'd been in contact with, in Wulf's mind it was nothing personal.

Wulf had nothing against this strange ghost who captured and released other ghosts back into this realm so long as this didn't effect him directly. He just wanted his freedom. But truthfully, if there had been any way for him to escape, any way to win his freedom without being forced to do Walker's bidding, Wulf would have much rather done that since he hated getting involved with the schemes of other ghosts wishing for more than they already had or wanted revenge. In fact, Wulf did try to run but the shock collar they put in him prevented Wulf from getting far and even worse he couldn't even change into his human-like form with it on. And so, after being given the job of hunting Danny Phantom down, Wulf was saved by him and his companions instead when he hardly deserved it.

In the end, Wulf repaid that kindness by dragging Walker back into the Ghost Zone with him after the female hunter that smelled like the ghost boy created a portal back to that realm using a new weapon of theirs. But sadly, after being betrayed by Wulf, Walker vowed he would have his revenge on him too and chased Wulf even more relentlessly than the first time.

That is what ultimately led Wulf to hide here.

It's been a few months now, possibly more, since he last saw Danny Phantom but Wulf was used to hiding and hunting in secluded areas of the Ghost Zone so it made no difference. And Walker knew a lot about Wulf but he didn't know everything, such as where his best hiding places were or the fact that he has two forms. In fact, when they caught him the first time Walker accused him of trespassing near his prison but Wulf didn't know the area that well yet and he was only returning home with a fresh kill at the time. Odd that a ghost would feel the need to kill for food, but Wulf did. It was only lesser specters and the like or other beasts, but he always made it a point never to hunt other sentient ghosts like himself. It was too much like a human hunting other humans like some kind of animal; just like the sort of people he met in his memories...

Wulf didn't remember much about his human existence but he remembered being chased by an angry mob with people throwing stones at him, a few of them even shooting guns, but thankfully he has always been agile and light on his feet so he managed to outrun them. At some point though someone else found him and started kicking and beating him. Or maybe that was before since the small creature in front of him was still so small, covered in the same black fur as his. That's why Wulf had this deep impression that he has always been a werewolf. There was never a time when Wulf was anything less.

That's why so many people have feared and rejected him his entire life, possibly even members of his own family too, and so Wulf got used to being alone and fending for himself. A rare few ever showed him kindness during that time and that was before they found out what Wulf was. But after they found out the truth, there was only fear in their eyes.

All except for one human child that Wulf would never forget...

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

_Long ago Wulf met a young girl who was living in the mountains with her grandmother since her health was poor and her body more frail than most. She found him wounded in the forest one day after sneaking out of the house to play outside. At first, she mistook him for an injured dog or a bear until she came closer and saw that the blood oozing from the wound on his leg was green because by then Wulf was a full ghost._

_Although to this day Wulf still doesn't remember exactly HOW he died. _

_Wulf was busy nursing his wound with the help of some local healing herbs when he caught her scent, turned sharply in her direction and growled. Unfortunately for him though it came out soft and weak, barely threatening at all. Still, he was too tired to scare her off directly and figured if the child knew what was good for her she would have the good sense to turn around and leave this MONSTER be..._

_But instead, the girl carefully sat down on the dry leaves, watching him carefully and inching closer with wonder and curiosity shining in her eyes. "Are you hurt? Is that...weird green stuff coming from you?"_

_Wulf planned to ignore her since she was no threat to him until suddenly he remembered about the bear trap that snapped onto his leg earlier and realizing there might be more hidden among the leaves Wulf waved his paws and exclaimed in alarm, _**_"No, don't come any closer! It's too dangerous!"_**

_Startled, the girl jerked back just in time before she accidentally set off another trap that snapped closed mere inches from her tiny hand. But the thing that startled her first of all was the fact that this strange wolf man just spoke! And not only that but the language he had just spoken in was Esperanto! She grew up speaking the language periodically with her grandmother who was taking care of her right now in fact so the girl understood him for the most part, she was still learning it after all._

_Not wanting to risk the girl getting hurt by accident, Wulf huffed in annoyance and picked her up by the waist, leaping into the air and landing much further away from where the traps were but because his leg was still injured, he staggered and fell to his knees and nearly dropped her, stifling a howl of pain. Shortly after Wulf gently set her down and turned his head away, saying, _**_"You should be safe here. Go home little one."_**

_His head whipped around though when the girl replied a bit slowly, _**_"Thank you. You saved me so can I...make better?" _**_she asked, pointing at his injured leg._

_"_**_You speak Esperanto too?!"_**_ Wulf asked, his tail wagging hopefully._

_"_**_Only a little. My grandmother is teaching me..." _**_she blushed, toying with her skirt._

_Smiling toothily if only because it was nice to hear someone speak the language he was taught as a child before he died, Wulf explained after shaking his head, _**_"There's no need. It will heal on its own. You should go home before it gets dark. The forest is dangerous at night, especially right now. Thank you though."_**

_"_**_But I want to make better!" _**_the girl huffed when Wulf's ears perked up and he heard the distant howl of the beast that attacked him before. Wulf managed to injure it before getting caught in that bear trap after it fled and knew he couldn't fight it again like this since he was tired and hurt._

_And so, reluctantly, Wulf turned to the small girl and snorted, _**_"Ok, you can help me hide somewhere tonight and that will be thanks enough."_**

_Beaming, the girl suddenly took him by the paw and excitedly told him in English, "Then let's go to my house! There's a basement and no one ever goes up there so it should be safe. There are no monsters in there. I checked myself because I'm brave!"_

**Brave or foolish if you ask me,**_ Wulf thought tiredly to himself but she really didn't seem afraid of him at all so he let her lead him to the house before picking her up and phasing them inside, assuming the basement was near the top of the house. And as soon as Wulf set her down he spotted an old mattress stuffed into the corner of the room gathering dust, he stepped onto it and fell fast asleep._

_The next morning Wulf woke up to find her asleep next to him, snuggling against his soft fur. And when he looked down at his back leg Wulf saw a fresh bandage there and smiled softly. So there were still kind people left in the world, not just blindly cruel ones..._

_Even so, Wulf had no intention to stay. _

_His wound was likely healed now so he thought about leaving but then she hugged him in her sleep and it made Wulf want to stay there just a bit longer. Her presence reminded him of something, someone special to him. Not only that but Wulf had nearly forgotten what human contact was like. It was...pleasant. That's when Wulf foolishly thought, what was the harm in staying just a little bit longer? And that careless choice after a lifetime or more of running cost him greatly._


	2. The Hunter And The Prey

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Danny Phantom

**Note: **Admittedly I didn't flesh out this idea as much as I should have originally but at least the drawing of a younger human-like Wulf turned out cool! Also, I rewrote parts of the previous chapter so hopefully it flows a bit better and doesn't focus too much on Wulf's past. At least not yet. I plan to write only a bit about that at a time now that I have a better idea of what I want to say. Also, I'm pretty much going to skip over everything that happened in the show so we're in Season 3 territory now shortly after Dani went off to try and find a place for herself in the world but it's not going so well. From there a few things are either going to be completely different or focus mostly on Wulf, Dani, and Vlad. Danny will be in this too but as more of an ally of Wulf's and Dani's and not the main focus.

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**Chapter 2:** The Hunter And The Prey

_Your friends will believe in your potential, your enemies will make you live up to it. _**~ Tim Fargo**

* * *

Startled from his dream when a sharp familiar scent reached him, Wulf's lips curled in a snarl and he slowly edged over to the entrance of the hollow cavern he was hiding in without stepping out of the shadows, listening for any usual sounds or voices. And sure enough, the arrogant sound of Walker's voice rang out above the din of other sounds like low moans and wails from the lesser specters floating around. There were other voices too, loud and complaining, but Walker ignored them and checked his tracking device again.

"Stupid thing lost signal again! Damn it!" Walker grunted, hitting the device a few times for good measure. "Fan out, he can't have gotten far! We might not have the collar on him anymore but Wulf is mistaken if he thinks he's free from me just yet."

"B-but sir we've been looking for that prisoner for months. Wulf's long gone by now and no ghost in their right mind would come here, this is uncharted territory," one of his underlings pointed out, earning a swift punch to the gut from Walker who then yanked the foolish minion towards him.

"Now listen here, punk," Walker warned, lifting the other ghost by the neckline of his uniform, "No matter how long it takes we're going to capture Wulf and that's final! We'll need his power if we're to destroy Danny Phantom once and for all. I was hasty trying to get rid of him last time since his power is still so valuable to our cause. Once we get a new collar on him he won't be getting away a second time, I promise you that. Now, if ANYONE talks back to me again they will be getting a one-way ticket to isolation! Is that understood?"

As soon as Walker released him the others fell in line and hastily fanned out to search the area, including some of the small islands. Wulf could only hope this one was too small for them to bother searching which is why he chose it. They would assume someone as big as he was in werewolf form would never fit inside. And indeed, it was a tight fit even in this form. But, if they got too close, even if it set off their tracking devices, Wulf could always open a portal and escape to Earth which would buy him more time.

However, that would mean Wulf could never use this hiding spot again.

That was a shame too because cramped as it was, it was close to good hunting grounds. And when Wulf was bored he would carve little drawings into the stone walls with his claws. Like humans kept journals and photographs, the few things Wulf kept to even leave his mark on the world were these crude carvings. Despite his large girth Wulf's claws could be surprisingly deft and precise even when doing small detailed work. He carved images of himself only ever as a wolf and other symbols that once meant something to him but now only served as interesting ways to fill the empty space.

At times though, the symbols seemed to form a pattern, always the same one and then there were the phases of the moon Wulf kept track of out of habit as he had as a human. Unlike the werewolves in legends or fairytales, his transformations were always by choice although for a time he forgot he had a human form as previously stated. The moon did play a part though and his powers were strongest during a full moon and weakest during a new one, that much Walker did know which was likely why he was here now since it was a new moon in the human world. Strange how that still affected Wulf even now as a ghost but perhaps his power to move between worlds had something to do with it.

If Wulf still needed to breathe he would have been holding his breath when one of Walker's minions wandered too close for comfort to his hiding place. He could smell them, like the cruel scent of rusted iron and unwashed stone like the barred windows of the cages they guarded prisoners in. Walker's scent was different though like dry bleached bones left baking for days in the sun so he was relieved that he wasn't the one nearby. Because frankly, Wulf was still terrified of him. He didn't want to be caged and tortured, not again, not for their morbid entertainment and curiosity to find out what other powers he had.

His first day imprisoned there at Walker's jail they chained him by his neck, wrists, and ankles and treated him like an animal as they laughed and poked him with their electrical rods to assert themselves. And no sooner did they leave that Wulf tried to tear open a portal to Earth and escape, but the chains were too short so even when he managed to swipe his claws enough to open one the portal wasn't big enough to step through. He struggled and tried a few more times to escape through one, even going so far as to tear one open at his feet but Wulf only managed to pull himself down waist-deep before Walker arrived and saw the whole bizarre and almost embarrassing scene of a werewolf hanging over a portal by his wrists, half of his body hovering between worlds and starting to flail his legs out wildly to find a foothold now that they were unbound to the floor.

After that, they resorted to the collar to keep Wulf from doing it again, hurting him over and over every time he so much as extended his claws since they were retractable like a cat's. Since Wulf couldn't escape he only wanted to carve more pictures but they didn't care. They delighted to see him suffer, curled up on the floor with his chest heaving. That's when Wulf stopped fighting, for now, he needed to bide his time and that was when Walker came to him with his offer.

Wulf's mind snapped back to the present when a head poked into the entrance, scanning the darkness but unable to see anything since Wulf was pressed against a narrow crook inside the cavern, his eyes closed so they couldn't see their green glow. But the worst part of this was, Wulf was in his human-like form, so if they caught him now...they would know his secret. He couldn't afford to let that happen but if Wulf transformed now he would have to be quick in order to fly out of the opening in time so he wouldn't get stuck, either way, Wulf waited, immobile and blending into the darkness like any skilled hunter.

Only right now...he was the prey.

* * *

"What about this floating rock? Did anyone check here?" one of the ghost patrolmen called to his comrades, one of which scoffed-

"There? Are you nuts? Wulf's as big as a grizzly bear, he'd never fit in there! Let's move on before Walker gets all pissed off again."

After that, Wulf could sense them moving away but he didn't dare move an inch from that spot. Their senses weren't as sharp as his but they weren't deaf. If Wulf shifted his body at all they would hear it echo through the small space so for the next few agonizingly slow minutes Wulf stood perfectly still, his back sore from pressing so hard into the wall, but he needed to be sure they were gone and this wasn't a trap. Either way, his time here was obviously over...

For the first time since Walker set him loose on Danny Phantom, and more importantly since that fateful day in the forest where he met that little girl, Wulf decided to take his chances hiding on Earth. Hoping against all hope that the means Walker had to reach him were far more limited there unless he somehow managed to slip through the ghost boy's portal. Almost everyone in the Ghost Zone knew about it now, though it hardly mattered to him. And yet, was it possible that his friend would be willing to listen to his warning about Walker again? Maybe if Danny Phantom knew Walker wanted Wulf's power to reach him again he could help Wulf hide better in the other world which would greatly help them both in the end. Perhaps they could even hunt their common enemy together.

The thought of tearing Walker apart pleased Wulf since he was tired of running. He ran when he was human, he was running again now, and there seemed to be no end to it. And if ghosts truly had an eternity to exist unless drained completely of power, then Wulf did not want to suffer an eternity of being hunted anymore. HE was the hunter, the wolf, and if Danny Phantom was willing to become his packmate then Wulf was willing to end his life of solitude.

To be honest, Wulf envied the ghost boy because his friends seemed as loyal as any member of a wolf pack and he missed that feeling of belonging. Their willingness to help him before only strengthened Wulf's resolve to find him and protect his new friends who saved him from a fate worse than death, even for a ghost.

* * *

Trapped in a similar situation as Wulf, a young girl with a similar name as the friend he wished to find was shivering in an old abandoned building trying to keep warm. At first, she thought starting a new life, her own life, would be easy but it wasn't. There was a constant shadow of doubt in her mind and the fear that the man who created her, Vlad Masters, would eventually find and destroy her...

This girl's name was Dani Phantom. It was the same name as the person she was cloned from by the name of Danny Fenton but with different spelling and she obviously had no human past. Everything she knew, everything she learned came from Vlad because he made her more human than the others in order to trick the younger half-ghost into thinking they were somehow related. To some extent, they were at least genetically speaking and they shared most of the same powers but Dani, also known as Danielle, was an artificially created person. A clone.

It didn't used to bother her because she had Vlad's love and he indoctrinated her to be loyal to him like all the other clones who were much more mindless. But then she finally met Danny, and he made her doubt whether Vlad saw her as his daughter or if she was just another mistake, a tool to be discarded. Dani followed Vlad's orders faithfully, determined to prove Danny wrong and show him that Vlad did care about her and she WAS his daughter, but when he ordered her to overshadow Danny knowing that all the other clones perished, Dani questioned how safe that was since she too was unstable. That's when Vlad suddenly flew into a rage and revealed his true colors, furious that Dani would dare disobey him since he made her and only existed to do his bidding, and then she freed Danny and together they defeated Vlad...

With nowhere else to go, Dani decided to search for a place to call home and protect people just like her original did but it didn't take long for the cruel reality of her situation to sink in. She was alone, friendless, homeless, and apart from the basic knowledge Vlad gave her Dani didn't know much about herself or the world around her. Not only that but because she was half human too Dani couldn't survive without food and shelter. Unlike Danny though, for Dani even using basic ghost powers was draining so she had to avoid it whenever possible. Besides which, Vlad could detect when she used her powers so after a few close calls with the lackeys he hired to track her down Dani learned to only use them as a last resort.

Dani lost count of how many times they've chased her off but she knew she was getting weaker and her only chance of surviving now was to find Danny again and see if he could help her somehow. Still, the way she was now, it was a miracle her body hadn't dissolved into a puddle of ectoplasm already. She had a terribly high fever and was currently hiding in an old abandoned house on the edge of some other small town, curled up against the wall with only a torn up curtain as a blanket. Dani was resting there to escape from the rain after flying non-stop for three whole days, barely able to keep anything down even when she did manage to find or steal some food, and it was definitely taking its toll on her. If Vlad's minions ever did find her, Dani knew she was in no shape to fight back...

At least, not on her own.


	3. In The Company Of A Lone Wulf

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Danny Phantom

**Note:** Oh boy, just got back from a long trip but I had a few ideas for some scenes in this story so here ya go, I worked on another chapter! Also to _"lenasmith106" _thanks for the review! It made me super happy to finally get one for this story since I wasn't sure if it was doing well. I'm still not getting emails about people following the story which is weird but I guess that's why I check the actual website for some things! Anyways I like this idea too overall and I'm hoping I can still tell a good story while doing something outside of the norm with an unlikely pair of friends, although Wulf is going to start treating her more like a little sister honestly he wants to protect. Also, I'm skipping forward a bit so I don't have to explain how Wulf eluded Walker again since you probably already know how he did that.

****P.S.**** Sorry this took so long, and I hope you don't mind but it's going to be a little shorter than usual...

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**Chapter 3: **In The Company Of A Lone Wulf

__Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them. ___**~ Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper**_

* * *

Dani had no idea when she fell asleep but when her ghost sense went off, her eyes snapped open and she struggled to sit up, heart racing painfully fast. There was someone here. She could hear heavy footsteps climbing up the stairs here to the second floor. Struggling to stand up, her fingers curled around the torn curtain, Dani swallowed hard and hid under a small desk tucked into the corner of the room that was still relatively undamaged.

Her breath hitched when the door to the room Dani chose to hide in because there were no holes in the roof here creaked open and those same heavy footsteps that made the weak floorboards groan under their weight. Then she heard the sound of short deliberate sniffs, like a bloodhound catching the scent of their master's prey, and they prowled the length of the room. At least, that's what it sounded like to her.

_Oh great, now Vlad's created ghost dogs to sniff me out. As if hiding from his tracking devices wasn't hard enough!_ Dani grimaced, wincing when her head started throbbing.

Meanwhile, after stepping inside, Wulf began scratching the back of his head in confusion, wondering why on earth the ghost boy would be in a place like this. Wulf had a good memory of his friend Danny Phantom but sadly according to Walker's minions, it's been months in the real world since his escape which meant his memory of the scent was cold at best. Besides, if he wished to warn him it would be best not to show up there directly and alert Walker to the fact that they almost DID find him last time and he overheard their plans for the ghost boy.

So after choosing a secluded place to tear open a portal Wulf made sure he had a good hiding place set up, a den if you would, that he could return to in case things took a turn for the worse Wulf began tracking the scent that seemed most familiar to him which led him to this place. It troubled him that the ghost boy seemed to be hiding from something too. Wulf recognized the pattern after finding their scent again the first time, which makes sense given how long he's been on the run for one reason or another. In fact, Wulf was worried that Walker had already begun his third manhunt for Danny Phantom and maybe that's why he was so far from his lair in Amity Park. Still, Danny didn't have to hide from him since they were friends so Wulf decided to try calling out.

"**Friend? Are you in there? It's me, Wulf! You can come out now, I know who hunts you and I want to help..." **He sniffed the air again, certain that there was someone in this room yet Wulf couldn't see anyone.

His ears perked up when a small thud caught his attention under the desk and he was about to move towards it when all of a sudden the floorboards beneath Wulf's feet started to crack and he lept out of the way only to have the spot where he landed give way too. Sadly the place where he landed was right in front of the desk and the combined weight of his body and the desk became too much and the floor began to give way. In response Dani cried out, scrambling out from under the desk just in time before it started to fall through the floor. Wulf barely had enough time to react when the supporting beam holding the roof up over on that side of the room also gave way and part of the roof began collapsing as well so without thinking he grabbed her and phased through the wall just in time before the whole room broke apart as the floor collapsed along with the roof that until moments ago was over their heads which was now mostly destroyed.

Heaving a sigh of relief his solid green eyes fell on Dani at last and he blinked a few times in shock. This wasn't Danny Phantom. But they smelled the same so...were they kin? Tilting his head to the side, Wulf sniffed her again and commented, **"You smell like my friend, but you are not him. Are you hurt? Who are you?"**

Looking equally as shocked when Wulf spoke, Dani stepped away and replied, "I-I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying," she began unsurely, grateful that he saved her but still not sure if Wulf was friend or foe just yet. There was no way Dani could beat a werewolf ghost in the state she was in and yet, something told her that Wulf wasn't as scary as he looked since his gaze seemed genuinely curious rather than hostile.

Nodding in understanding Wulf snorted and tried to speak in broken English, "...why you smell like friend? I look for him, find you. Why?"

Now it was her turn to be confused, but regardless she asked hopefully, "Your friend? Do you mean Danny?! Do you know where he is?"

Wulf shook his head, "No. I not...see him for long time." After that Dani started coughing and Wulf looked a bit concerned since that didn't sound good at all. "You...not well?"

Dani shook her head but couldn't reply because of her coughing fit. So with a sigh Wulf scooped her into his large furry arms to take Dani somewhere warmer, that abandoned house was no good anymore. But why was she there? Why did she seem to radiate a familiar aura of fear and uncertainty that he knew all too well from untold years of isolation and running...?

"I take you to safe place now, ok?" Wulf explained, not waiting for an answer before turning down the alley and leaping over the wooden fence onto the other side since the human residence were bound to notice the half-collapse building now after that loud crash.

They likely paid it no mind before that which is why Dani chose it; well, that and because she didn't have the energy to fly much further and had no choice but to pick the first vacant building she saw to use for shelter when it started to rain outside. Either way, despite the fact that Wulf was a ghost, his fur was surprisingly warm and soft too Dani noticed once her coughing stopped and she could breathe again. Dani felt like she should know him but that was just another part of being a clone. Her memories, her feelings, all were reflections of the original and because of all the running from Vlad and his underlings, it was hard to find the time to figure out who she was supposed to be now.

Vlad trained her and imprinted basic knowledge into Dani's subconscious so she wouldn't just be a useless impalpable doll with no soul that could only understand orders and their devotion to him as a father figure, that's what the other clones were like. But, at least at first, he treated her like something more, something special since Dani was more aware of herself than the others, which was partially on purpose and the rest was an accident. It worked in his favor that Dani was 'born' a girl, it would have been too suspicious if a boy that looked similar to the real Danny showed up out of nowhere claiming to be his cousin. And because she was more human, inheriting some of his interests through their genetic makeup was another stroke of luck.

In fact, Vlad tried to replicate the process he used to make her to create more stable clones, but sadly even he couldn't figure out why she turned out more human than the rest of them who didn't even have enough surviving human DNA to turn human even as a disguise. Dani was probably the closest Vlad ever came to a successful clone of Danny Fenton short of extracting a mid-morph sample from him which why Vlad used Dani's uniquely human traits to lure the only other half-ghost into a trap and kidnapped him. Either way, despite the strong urge she still felt sometimes to go back to Vlad, she knew better now. He didn't care about her, didn't love her, to him Dani was just another tool that could easily be disposed of and nothing but a mistake he wanted to clean up...

Dani shivered at the thought of that being literal if she melted before reaching Danny in time. He may have been suspicious of her at first, but later, even after Dani betrayed him because that's what Vlad wanted, Danny still tried to help her since he knew Vlad better than she did and knew she was only being used. Dani was beginning to have her doubts too after overhearing her 'father' gloating about his plans for Danny and gloating about his soon to be perfect half-ghost son but again it wasn't until Vlad abandoned all semblance of caring about her at all that she finally accepted the truth.

It hurt, realizing that, but Dani felt more betrayed than anything which is why she happily helped Danny kick his butt. Unfortunately though Dani didn't really think about what she should do after that with her newfound freedom. She had nowhere to call home, no one to turn to, no one to care. And yet, this werewolf ghost was here searching for Danny too and instead of just turning around and leaving once he knew he found the wrong person, he stayed and even protected her from the falling building. He was still helping her now.

Was it a trap though, to lull Dani into a false sense of security? Somehow she seriously doubted that. It wouldn't make any sense for Vlad to hire a ghost who barely spoke any English, let alone someone who on the outside looked this vicious since it was counterproductive. Now if he sent this ghost to hunt her that would be another story entirely. Either way, Dani was too feverish and tired to really think about any of this for long and eventually the unnatural warmth of this ghost's fur combined with the smooth rhythmic movements he was making as they headed to their destination got the better of her and Dani succumbed to her exhaustion yet again, wondering if this ghost could really be trusted.


	4. True Strength

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Danny Phantom

**Note: ****_**Warning, depictions of violent gory scenes ahead!**_** Also, I'm still doing some research to explore at least some of Wulf's backstory more for later but I guess it's still not that important. At any rate, I think it's about time for a little excitement and drama so here we go!

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_**Chapter 4: **__True Strength_

__Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. ___**~ Arnold Schwarzenegger**_

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While Wulf didn't expect to find someone other than Danny Phantom, he could not in good conscious leave Dani like this when she was terribly sick. It was risky, bringing her to his temporary den when Wulf wasn't sure she could be trusted but it couldn't be helped. She was weak and frail and clearly hadn't eaten for a few days so since he had little else to offer her for warmth Wulf carefully shrugged out of his hoodie and covered her with it.

If it wasn't for the rain Wulf would have made the bed of leaves for her to sleep on too. He did, however, make a small smokeless fire at the mouth of the cave they were in to help keep Dani warm before Wulf set out to gather some healing herbs to help reduce her fever. And while Wulf detested stealing, he also went back into town and stole some food and a few other things for Dani since he couldn't exactly go hunting in a place like this. They were out of town, yes, but it was still close enough that someone might realize someone was snatching things from their homes.

As more of a last-minute thought, Wulf tried to steal some clothes for her too but didn't really know what would fit Dani. He'd only ever stolen clothes for himself when his own became too shredded to wear after a sudden transformation. At least that's how it was when Wulf was still human and hadn't learned how to control it that well yet. For some reason now, like magic, the clothes he wore seemed to fit him even when Wulf transformed abruptly. It was very odd. Regardless, Dani needed something dry to wear and a proper blanket anyway so what he managed to snatch before heading back would have to do for now.

It took several trips to get everything he needed but when Wulf went to check on her it looked like Dani hadn't moved an inch and she was still trapped in a fitful sleep. Dani was dreaming about what would happen if Vlad caught her and it frightened her. Not that Wulf knew that, he figured her restlessness was caused by the fever so he set to work taking care of Dani by cooling her down with a damp cloth he folded up after ripping a small section of the blanket off. And now that she had that he could put his hoodie back on, which was easier to get back on by turning into his humanoid form and then back again and Wulf assumed he didn't have to worry about her seeing him...

While Wulf was busy doing that however, he didn't notice it when Dani blearily open her eyes just long enough for her to see the coal-black skin of his back which was decorated in dozens of long faded scars from a human life he could barely remember. Dani couldn't understand what she was seeing, let alone figure out that this strange-looking person in front of her was the werewolf that rescued her earlier, but it didn't matter because not long after that she fell asleep and forgot seeing anything at all. In fact, a whole day passed before Dani woke up again with a slightly clearer head and noticed Wulf curled around her like a great big dog, breathing softly himself since he had worked tirelessly through the night to try and break her fever before it could get any worse.

His ears twitched and perked up when he sensed the movement and Wulf peered up at her with one of his large solid green eyes, asking in a husky tired voice, "You better now?"

Sitting up slowly and touching her forehead, Dani replied, "I...think so, I'm still tired but my head doesn't hurt anymore."

Snorting in satisfaction, Wulf nodded and then stretched out his powerful limbs, yawning before he gestured over at the food he gathered from town and from the local plant life. "It...not much but there is food. Berries safe but bitter, help you not get sick more."

"Um, thanks?" Dani replied, still half-asleep she rubbed her eyes but the mention of food did make her stomach growl. So after that, she stood up a bit unsteadily and brought some of the food over which was just berries and a box of crackers he must have grabbed from someone cupboard which were thankfully still dry thanks to the plastic wrapping even though the box was still a bit damp from the rain.

They were a bit stale but Dani wasn't about to complain, she was famished. Wulf wasn't lying about how bitter the berries were but the crackers helped. Dani left the last two packages of crackers unopened but there was still some left in the one she opened so Dani turned and shyly asked if Wulf wanted any and he gave her a toothy grin before laughing in amusement.

"**Thanks for the offer but no, I only eat meat or lesser ghosts. And even then I don't have to eat as often anymore now that I'm a ghost too." **His laughter trailed off when Wulf remembered that she couldn't understand him when he spoke Esperanto so he tried to find the right words in English and repeated, "Thank you, but I...no have to eat much anymore. Now I hunt, hmm...little ghosts?"

Confused, Dani asked, "Wait, so you actually EAT other ghosts?"

Wulf nodded and knit his brows in frustration before trying to explain, "Yes...but only stupid ones."

Snickering, Dani relaxed a bit and sighed in mock relief, "Oh good then that means you're not going to eat me then cause I'm not stupid. You must mean that you hunt those other ones that float around in the Ghost Zone randomly moaning all the time, right? Specters?"

Wulf tilted his head in confusion which was actually kind of adorable and Dani decided to just leave it at that for now and finished off the last of the crackers in the bag she already had open. But sadly now she was thirsty because of how dry they were so Dani looked around for something to drink and spotted a small pool of water that had gathered in a natural crevasse over on the opposite side of the cave and she went over to it without really thinking much of it at the time.

However, noticing this Wulf quickly stood up and stopped her by placing one of his large paws on her shoulder, shaking his head. "That water no good. You want moving water. Come."

Scooping her up in one arm Wulf stepped out of the cave since he didn't want her walking too much yet since Dani was still weak and he carried her over to a small ravine where he set her down gently. Then, after kneeling on all fours as usual Wulf lapped up some water and drank deeply before lifting his muzzle and shaking his head and turning away to make room for Dani to do the same. Dani was confused at first, wondering why he brought her here but then it dawned on Dani that he was making sure the water was safe to drink before letting her do the same. This was...outdoor survival stuff that she didn't know the first thing about.

Vlad never taught her about any of this because there was no reason to, after all, he provided everything for her. The food on the table, the clothes on her back, the place where she slept, everything. But now that she was on her own Dani was lucky she knew she even HAD to eat food and drink water to survive since she was half-human. But this werewolf guy, he seemed to know a lot about living off the land and he even helped her get better. The question now was...why was he doing all this? What was the catch?

Ignoring those burning questions for now to fix the burning sensation in her throat, Dani cupped some of the cool water in both hands and took a long slow drink. This water tasted fantastic, it was cool and clean which makes sense because it just rained recently but Dani drank as much of it as she could while Wulf waited patiently near a tree, surveying their surroundings. His nostrils flared when he caught the scent of a deer just upwind of them but Wulf didn't feel the need to go hunting right now. He might try to track it down again later but first things first Wulf needed to find out who this ghost girl was and how she knew Danny.

It was going to be a challenge, asking her questions in English but Wulf was relieved that he still remembered enough of the language to communicate with her to some small degree. Besides, from the sound of it, she was looking for him too so maybe they could help each other. She certainly didn't seem like a threat to him. Regardless they would need to get going soon if they were going to warn Danny before Walker made his next move.

It's already been a few weeks since Wulf escaped to Earth and he was no closer to tracking him down now than he was when he first tried to remember how to tear open a portal leading to the ghost boy's lair. Walker gave him something to help him track the ghost boy before but that was a while ago so now all Wulf had was the faint memory of his scent which led him to this little girl. And maybe now that she was feeling better they could-

Gasping, a thin wisp of cold air escaped her lips and Dani went pale, looking around wildly while reaching for his arm and pulling insistently. "This is bad. They've found me! Come on, you have to get out of here! Now!"

Sensing the danger as well Wulf snarled and extended his claws, standing in front of her protectively and pushing Dani further behind him while trying to sniff out their foe. He didn't have to wait long before some kind of net began falling towards them from somewhere above and Wulf swiped at it with his claws, cutting it clean in half. Shortly after that Wulf heard the sound of a weapon charging and pushed Dani out of the way before it hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Dani was still recovering from the shock when none other than Skulker appeared and stepped out of the shadows from where he'd been hiding among the trees while a drone distracted them by dropping a net from above which quickly returned and reattached itself to his mechanical body.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise? I came here to find the girl and instead and find her hanging out with the big bad Wulf. I wonder how much Vlad will pay for capturing an extra specimen for him," Skulker smirked, hoping that maybe Vlad would offer more than Walker's meager reward for Wulf's capture since he had a rare gift that he could make use of.

Recovering from the blow, Wulf didn't even bother gracing him with a response and launched himself at Skulker, his fangs digging into and latching onto one of his mechanical arms. Stunned by his especially violent response, Skulker panicked and pressed a button on his other arm with some effort in order to give Wulf a sharp jolt to get him to let go of it. Doing this would drain his suit of power a bit rather abruptly but it was worth the risk because Skulker knew it was a well-known fact that Wulf was weak against electrical attacks. After all, Walker used to torture him a lot with his electrical rods. Skulker knew this for a fact from his own research when he considered hunting Wulf down himself and because of the one time they were both imprisoned at the same time...

It was only a brief encounter but Skulker had watched with mild curiosity as Walker's goons dragging him back to solitary confinement in chains and a muzzle when Wulf broke loose once. And for a moment even Skulker almost pitied the werewolf when he saw how they kept shocking him every few feet or so just to spite him. Skulker was the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter sure, but even he had a sense of honor and treated most of the ghostly beasts he captured with some respect since they were powerful and regal creatures. Very rarely did Skulker ACTUALLY kill and skin the ghosts he hunted because it was such a waste and Skulker preferred keeping them healthy and fit so he could release them on his island to hunt and recapture for sport.

Either way, right now his only job was to recapture Vlad Plasmius's escaped clone experiment so as thrilled as he was by the idea of hunting Wulf as well it had already taken him weeks to find her trail after losing it last time. But Wulf was powerful and dangerous which meant that Skulker needed to either convince him to leave or incapacitate him. Thankfully the jolt of electrical energy was enough to make Wulf let go of his arm but it was severely damaged now, slowing the movements of his fingers on that hand and Skulker had a feeling most of the weapons on this one were now malfunctioning.

"Stop it! Stop hurting him you jerk!" Dani cried out, transforming into her ghost-half and rushing over to Wulf, making her hands glow bright green.

Skulker just rolled his eyes though and raised his working arm to aim a gun at them, "Oh please, I've already scanned your vitals and I know you're not strong enough to defeat me. If you don't want your new friend to get hurt though I suggest you come with me quietly. You've been a very bad girl and Plasmius has gone through a lot of trouble trying to get you back. Honestly, you're lucky he even WANTS you back."

"Shut up!" Dani shouted, her eyes a bit glossy. "You don't know anything!"

Meanwhile, behind her Wulf was spitting out some ectoplasmic blood since that jolt Skulker attacked him with opened a small wound on the roof of his mouth and he rose to his feet, snarling again after wiping the blood off on one of his arms. And since Skulker had translators built-in, Wulf bellowed in his native tongue, **"She's not going anywhere with you, Skulker. I'll rip you apart before you can touch her again!"**

And with that Wulf leapt into the air and Skulker tried to move out of the way but he was too slow on the ground and Wulf pinned him down, claws extended, and with a savage fury Wulf began hacking away at his suit and send metal bits flying into the air. He had not felt this way in a long time but Wulf was determined to protect Dani no matter what. He would not fail to protect his friends again. Not again, not after...what happened to his little friend in the mountains so long ago.

As the bloodlust blinded him Wulf had flashbacks of that horrible day, saw the fire licking at the walls of the house, the gleaming red eyes of the same ghost that chased him before, that little girl's tear-streaked face as he hugged her close and tried to clean the blood off her face with trembling paws. Wulf remembered how it felt tearing that ghost apart for ruining his happiness and nearly killing his first and only friend in years since he died...

A fury unlike anything he'd ever felt before blinded Wulf to everything else and his claws tore deep into their flesh, ripping them open and spraying ectoplasmic blood all over the fall leaves. And even once they stopped moving Wulf dug his teeth into their throat and ripped off their head for good measure. Because this...this wild savage ghost, this beast nearly killed his little friend right in front of him! They were spending time together in a field of flowers since it was nice and sunny that day and as a token of their friendship she made him a flower crown and then, when she wandered a little too far from him, that ghost attacked the little girl since she smelled like him and cut her cheek with their claws before he could get to her in time.

Thankfully Wulf managed to chase them off at first but then they came back and started that fire in her house, killing the grandmother in the process. After that Wulf had no choice but to take his little friend to the nearest village and hope that they could help her while he took care of the beast. But even once the beast was slain, Wulf knew their peaceful days together were over. There were claw marks all over the interior of the house and on the grandmother's body from when the ghost beast killed her and if Wulf tried to see her again they would blame him for the death and the fire. That's why, for her sake, Wulf had no choice but to leave...

Wulf barely even noticed when Skulker ejected the head from his ecto-suit and fled by the time he came back to his senses and stepped away from the mangled remains of Skulker's suit. It was...almost frightening how strong his reaction was to the point that Wulf could hardly remember why he did this to Skulker. They weren't exactly friends or even enemies so what-

Remembering Dani, Wulf whirled around and saw the stunned expression on her face as she stared blankly at what remained of Skulker's mechanical suit. Had he been made of any sort of actual flesh, this would have been a horribly gory scene, with blood and guts strewn all over the place. But thankfully the real Skulker was extremely small, small enough for Wulf to chomp in a single mouthful if he wanted to, so since the bulk of his mass was from an artificial body made of metal, the shrapnel and gnarled bits were all that was left along with limbs that Wulf had carelessly torn out of their sockets and threw aside. At first, Wulf was afraid that he scared her, and for good reason and she would try to run off which was probably for the best.

But then, when Wulf stepped back fearfully, trying to find some way to explain himself, she suddenly burst into tears and rushed at him, hugging Wulf as tightly as her shaking arms would allow. He was frozen in place, unsure why Dani was doing this until she buried her face in his hoodie and sobbed, "Thank you. Oh my god thank you so much! I thought he was going to hurt you and make me go with him to Vlad by threatening you but, but it's over now. Thank you...thank you!"


End file.
